We’ve all done it – fallen down the rabbit hole of a true crime documentary, completely absorbed by the twists and turns of a horrific story. But how often do we stop to think about the people left in the wreckage who weren’t the direct victims? In the rush for viral content, their stories are often twisted or ignored. Nichol Kessinger’s name is forever tied to the monstrous acts of Chris Watts, and for many, she’s simply the “mistress,” the woman who supposedly drove a man to kill. She was painted as a villain, a homewrecker, a key player in a familicide. But that’s not the whole story. It’s not even close.
This isn’t just another retelling of the Watts case. This is a look at the story of a woman who was manipulated, deceived, and then thrown to the wolves by a public hungry for a simple narrative. By digging into the official reports, her own words, and the timeline of events, we can piece together a more truthful account—one of a woman whose life was torn apart, first by a master manipulator and then by the entire world.
A Relationship Built on a Mountain of Lies
It didn’t start with a sinister plot. It started the way so many modern relationships do: at work. In June 2018, Nichol Kessinger was just a single woman working in the environmental department of Anadarko Petroleum. Chris Watts, a coworker who never wore a wedding ring, introduced himself. He seemed like a good guy—soft-spoken, a doting father who was, he claimed, at the tail end of a friendly divorce. He was just a man trying to do right by his two little girls. And why wouldn’t she believe him?
What started as casual office chat soon became more. They were seeing each other four or five times a week. All the while, Watts was building an elaborate fantasy for her, even telling her his divorce was final. It’s chilling to see the stark contrast between the world he built for her and the horrific reality he was plotting for his family.
| What Chris Watts Told Nichol Kessinger | The Sobering Truth |
|---|---|
| He was nearly divorced. | He was still married to Shanann Watts. No divorce papers were ever filed. |
| His wife was not pregnant. | Shanann was 15 weeks pregnant with their son, Nico. |
| He was a loving father, focused on his daughters. | He was meticulously planning the murder of his entire family. |
| He was the victim of a tough marriage. | He was the aggressor, about to commit the ultimate act of domestic violence. |
From Concerned Girlfriend to Key Witness
The whole charade came crashing down on August 13, 2018. When the news broke that Shanann Watts and her two daughters were missing, Kessinger found herself in a real-life horror movie. She learned from a news alert—not from the man she was dating—that Chris Watts was still married and that his wife was pregnant. The man who had been so calm on the phone just hours before was now at the center of a national media frenzy.
Her reaction wasn’t that of a partner in crime; it was one of betrayal and sheer terror. “I thought, ‘If he was able to lie to me and hide something that big, what else was he lying about?'” she later told The Denver Post. Her shock quickly morphed into suspicion. She hammered Watts with questions, but his vague, emotionless answers just made her more alarmed. It was then that Nichol Kessinger made a choice that separated her from the narrative of a willing accomplice. On August 15, before the world knew his name as a monster, she picked up the phone and called the Weld County Sheriff’s Office and the FBI. She told them everything. “With a pregnant woman and two children missing, I was going to do anything that I could,” she said. Her actions were not those of a villain, but of a citizen doing the right thing.
Trial by Media: The Public Crucifixion of Nichol Kessinger
Her cooperation didn’t matter to the court of public opinion. Once her name was out, the internet did what it does best: it turned on her. Nichol Kessinger was no longer a person; she was a character in a true crime drama. She was the homewrecker, the Jezebel, the reason a man would slaughter his family. The harassment was brutal and relentless, a global witch hunt fueled by half-truths and a desperate need for a simple, satisfying story.
The 2020 Netflix documentary, “American Murder: The Family Next Door,” only made things worse. It brought her face and story to millions more, unleashing a fresh wave of vitriol and threats. The pressure became unbearable. In October 2020, to save her life and sanity, Nichol Kessinger did the only thing she could: she legally changed her name and vanished, forced into a self-made witness protection program to escape the very public she had tried to help.
The Invisible Wound: The Trauma of Deception
Nichol Kessinger’s story is a stark reminder that true crime has hidden victims. She wasn’t physically harmed by Chris Watts, but the psychological trauma is undeniable. She was a victim of extreme deception, expertly manipulated by a man who would become one of the most infamous family annihilators in modern history.
Her situation brings up tough questions. How much blame does someone bear when they are unknowingly involved with a killer? How do you even begin to heal when you find out the person you cared for was a monster? Kessinger’s experience is a chilling look at the psychological devastation caused by pathological liars and the unique trauma of being linked to a horrific crime. She is proof that the damage from such acts spreads far beyond the primary victims, leaving deep, invisible wounds on anyone caught in the blast radius.
FAQ: The Questions Everyone Is Still Asking
- 1. Did Nichol Kessinger know Chris Watts was married?
- No. All evidence and her own consistent statements show that Chris Watts lied to her, saying he was nearly divorced. She found out the truth from news reports when his family went missing.
- 2. Was Nichol Kessinger involved in the murders?
- Absolutely not. There is zero evidence to support this. She went to the police with her suspicions before Watts was even a suspect and was a key witness for the prosecution. Law enforcement has never considered her an accomplice.
- 3. Where is Nichol Kessinger now?
- She is living in anonymity. After facing intense public harassment and threats, she legally changed her name in 2020 to protect her safety. Her current location is unknown.
- 4. Why did she change her name?
- She changed her name to escape the constant public scrutiny, online attacks, and threats that made her life a living hell, especially after the Netflix documentary was released.
- 5. What can we learn from her story?
- Her story teaches us about the “secondary victims” of crime, the profound damage of psychological manipulation, and the real-world danger of a trial by media. It’s a powerful lesson to look for the nuance and humanity behind the headlines.
Conclusion: Seeing the Person Behind the Caricature
The story of Nichol Kessinger is a tough one. It’s about the collateral damage of a horrific crime and the dark side of our collective obsession with true crime. It’s a story that should make us see past the simple, satisfying label of “mistress” and recognize the real person who was caught in an impossible situation. She wasn’t the reason for the murders; she was just another person destroyed by Chris Watts’s lies.
As we consume these stories, we have a choice. We can settle for the easy, black-and-white narratives, or we can push for a more compassionate and critical understanding of the human cost for everyone involved. Nichol Kessinger’s story is a call to do better—to remember the invisible victims and to acknowledge the deep, lasting wounds that headlines can never show.
Most Viewed
